diff --git a/test/create_test_db b/test/create_test_db
index 8690b53f7..102dba6e8 100755
--- a/test/create_test_db
+++ b/test/create_test_db
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ then
 fi
 
 BASEPATH=$( cd $(dirname $0) ; pwd -P )
-#Remove database path from the connection uri--prevents setting up the new database name with PGDATABASE
-URI=$(echo $1 | cut -d'/' -f1-3)
+URI="$1"
 #Extract host and port--we need this to form the new connection string
 HOST_PORT=$(echo $URI | cut -d'/' -f3 | cut -d'@' -f2 )
 DB=$2
@@ -49,6 +48,9 @@ CREATE DATABASE $DB OWNER $TEST_USER_NAME;
 ALTER SCHEMA public OWNER TO $TEST_USER_NAME;
 EOF
 
+#Remove database path from the connection uri--prevents setting up the new database name with PGDATABASE
+URI=$(echo $URI | cut -d'/' -f1-3)
+
 PGDATABASE=$DB PGOPTIONS='-c client_min_messages=WARNING' psql "$URI" --set=db=$DB -Xq <<EOF
   CREATE EXTENSION IF NOT EXISTS pgcrypto;
   ALTER DATABASE ${DB} SET request.jwt.claim.id = '-1';
diff --git a/test/destroy_test_db b/test/destroy_test_db
index 4f5ccbe96..202e5e6d6 100755
--- a/test/destroy_test_db
+++ b/test/destroy_test_db
@@ -17,8 +17,7 @@ then
 fi
 
 BASEPATH=$( cd $(dirname $0) ; pwd -P )
-#Remove database path from the connection uri
-URI=$(echo $1 | cut -d'/' -f1-3)
+URI="$1"
 DB=$2
 
 PGOPTIONS='-c client_min_messages=WARNING' psql "$URI" -Xq >/dev/null -c 'select rolcreatedb from pg_authid where rolname = current_user;' 2>/dev/null